Cqfran and william james murray



(N m a 1; I M G. W.O0FRAN &' W. J. MURRAY.

\ AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING MEUHANISM. No. 52, 40.

xi 5 g Patented De 0. 24

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ATTORNEYS.

. hl k) A" DREW acnnnmynoro-umu. WASINNGTOILD C UNITED STATES PATENTEEicE.

GEORGE VASHINGTON OOFRAN AND WVILLIAM JAMES MURRAY, OF BALTI- MORE,MARYLAND; SAID OOFRAN ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO JOHN A.

ADDISON, OF SAME PLACE;

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING MECHANISM SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 552,040, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed August 13, 1894. Renewed June '7, 1895- Berial No.552,036. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE \VASHING- TON COFRAN and WILLIAM JAMESMURRAY, residing in the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,have invented a new and Improved Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of fire- IO extinguishers that arebrought into action by the rupture of fusible connections; and itprimarily has for its object to provide, in combination with the fusibleconnections and trip devices operated by the severance thereof,fire-extinguishing gas-generating mechanism of a simple and economicalstructure, and which will efiectively and positively operate for theintended purposes.

Our invention also has for its object to provide a chemicalfire-extinguishing mechanism having, in combination with the fusibleholding-wires, the gas generating and distributing devices, and awater-supply having a valve having hand-operated means connected 2 5with the fusible connections and so arr nged that when turned on suchmeans will also serve to sever the fusible connections at the same timethe water is turned, whereby the gas will be generated and permitted toflow into the several sprinkling or distributing nozzles.

Furthermore our invention has for its object to providesuitably-arranged sprinklers or distributing-nozzles having fusiblecoverings, and also alarm devices connected with fire-extinguishingmechanism shown in the normal position in elevation. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view-of the gas-generator devices and the trip mechanismtherefor. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the alarm mechanism andthe trip-operating devices therefor. Fig. 4 is a View illustrating thewater-supply 5 5 pipe,the cut-off valve, operating-handles, and thefusible connection joined to the valvestem; and Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken on the line 4 4c of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one ofthe sprinklers or distributing- 6o nozzles. Fig. 6 illustrates the partsthereof detached. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7 7,Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 is a similar view on the line 8 8, Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by 6 5 letters of reference, Aand B represent, for example, the first and second stories of abuilding, in the lower one B of which at some con venient point arelocated the gas-generating devices, which comprise a tank or holder 0,formed at the upper end with a contracted or neck portion O at thethroat c of which is held a bridge-piece a, while at one side is anopening D, for a purpose presently described, which is normally heldclosed air-tight by a suitable plug or hand hole or plate. The upper endof the neck O has a flange 0 on which is fitted a cap member F,centrally apertured vertically, as at f, through which passes a plungerG, the upper end of which is connected with a weighted lever H, which isconnected at its weighted end with the trip devices hereinafterdescribed, while the other end is pivotally joined to a standard Iprojected up from the holder O, as shown.

J indicates a diaphragm clamped at its peripheral edge between theflanges of the neck portion O and the cap, and forms an air-tight sealto prevent escape of the gas within the holder through the neck thereof,and such diaphragm is held from being pressed upward by a cage K,against which it seats when forced back after the plunger operates toforce it down, such diaphragm having an impact portion J, with which thelower end of the plunger engages when forced downward.

' L indicates a bottle in which is to be held the sulphuric acid, (orother elements,) which is adapted, when the bottle is broken, to mixwith the bicarbonate of soda in water (or other elements) held in theholder to form the extinguishing-gas.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 2, that the plugged opening D,and the bridge-piece c are arranged relatively and the bottle L is ofsuch a size that it can be easily. slipped through the opening D andsupported on the bridgepiece under the diaphragm.

M indicates the main gas-distributing pipe, which enters the gas-holderto a point near the bottom and extends up through the sev eral storiesof the building, it having in each story one or more laterals h asclearly shown in Fig. l.

The trip devices before referred to, which serve to operate the plungerG, comprise a bell-crank lever N, connected at one end at to theweighted end of the lever H,while its other end forms a lock-pawl 'n',which normally engages a notch 0 in a lock-bar 0, held to slidepreferably on a bearing-studp, projected from one of the laterals, itsslide movement being limited by the slot 0. This bar 0 is held to itsnormal or locked position (see Fig. 1) by the fusible wire 1?, whichexten ds along the distributing-lateral M, and is held in guides 17projected therefrom and the several T-joints Q, and connected at itsopposite end to a trip device R, which, when the parts are in theirnormal position, engages a spring-actuated or gravity drop S, which,when released by the separation of any of the fusible connections withinthe building, drops and engages a switch member '1 in the circuit of analarmbell, as shown, it being obvious, however, that in practice,instead of the member T serving to operate an electrically-operatedgong, it may be in the nature of a tripper for a springoperated or othergong mechanism.

Throughout the building the several laterals have T-joints Q, to whichthe sprinklers or distributers are connected, each of which isconstructed as shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, and comprises abell-shaped nozzle Q, which has a threaded shank q, which enters theT-joints Q and an internal bridge-piece g, which has a central threadedaperture (1 Q indicates a detachable cone-like member formed with ascrew-shank (1 the top of which is adapted to enter the aperture g inthe bridge-piece. As shown in Fig. 5, it will be noticed that the loweredges of the member Q are so flared outward that when it is connectedwith the bridge-piece such edges can be adjustably fitted to form anarrow annular escape-slit q the body portion of such member having alsojet-openings In practice a fusible covering U is fitted or er the bottomof each nozzle, and such fusible material is so arranged as to withstanda heat greater than that required to sever the fusible connectionsbefore referred to, so as to permit the use of a hand-hose at theincipiency of the fire, if desired. For this purpose in the lower storyor all of the stories is the valve-stem W" in such a manner that as the.

handle w is pulled down to open the valve to turn on the water such wirewill be out, which will set in operation the gas-generatin g means. Bythus connecting with the fusible connections and extinguishing mechanisma watersupply, should a fire break out, say,during the day, thewater-hose can be used, which, when set in operation, will also set thegas-extinguishing means ready for operation, so that in case the firecould not be controlled by the hose the extinguishing means will beautomatically brought into action.

It will be readily understood from Fig. 1, should the fusible wire besevered, the weighted lever will be released and drop, and thereby causethe plunger to break the bottle under it.

In the upper stories the fusible wires are connected with and held tautby the weighted levers A which at one end connect with the sliding lockmember N, and at the other they have weighted levers 13', which areconnected by any suitably-arranged bell-crank-lever mechanism with thefusible wire in the lower story, the several levers A and B being soarranged as to keep all of the fusible wires normally to a tautposition. By such construc tion it will be manifestly clear that shoulda fusible wire in any part of the building be come severed thetrip-lever H willbe dropped. It will also be obvious that by providingthe several sprinklers or distributers with fusible coverings only suchsprinklers as are in the room or portion of the room burning will be setin operation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, is

1. A chemical fire extinguishing mechanism comprising a gas generatingmeans, having distributing pipes, provided with sprinklers or nozzles,having fusible coverings to normally hold them closed, trip devices forholding the gas generating means from operation, and fusible wires forholding the tripper devices to their normal or locked position, saidfusible wires and the coverings for the sprinklers being constructedsubstantially as described whereby the wires are adapted to separate ata less degree of heat than the said coverings as specified.

2. The combination with a gas generating mechanism, a trip device forholding the gas generating mechanism normally from operati on and thegas distributing pipe, of a water supply pipe, having a hand operatedvalve, a hose section connected therewith, and a IIO connection betweenthe valve and the trip devices arranged substantially as shown wherebywhen the valve is turned to open the water, it (the connection) willfree the trip devices and set in operation the gas generating mechanism,substantially as shown and described.

3. In a chemical fire extinguishing mechanism, in combination with atripping mechanism and fusible means for normally holding them to alocked position, of a gas holder having a plugged or hand hole openingin the top, and an internal supporting member, a fluid holding vesseladapted to be inserted through the opening and adapted to rest onthesupport, a plunger held to engage the vessel and break it when forceddown, and a weighted lever connected to the plunger and the trippingmechanism, all arranged substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, in a fire extinguishing mechanism as described withthe tripping devices and the fusible means for holding them to a lockedposition, of a gas holder having a contracted or neck portion, having aplugged or hand hole opening at one side, and an internal bridge piece,a glass or similar vessel adapted to be inserted through such opening,an apertured cap member fitted on the upper end of the neck of theholder, a diaphragm or analogous seal interposed between such cap andneck, a plunger movable in the cap adapted to engage the diaphragm andbottle, and a weighted lever connected with such plunger and thetripping mechanism, all arranged substantially as shown and described.

5. In a fire extinguishing mechanism, the

combination with the gas holder proper, the

top cap member F and the vessel L held in the holder, of the plunger G,the diaphragm held between the bottle and the plunger and the cage Kheld between the cap F and the diaphragm, said cage and cap beingapertured for the passage of the plunger, substantially as shown and forthe purposes described.

6. The combination with the gas generating means including the plunger,and the weighted lever, of the bell crank tripper, the lock member N,movable endwise and to swing vertically and having a lock notch adaptedto engage the upper end of the tripper, a connection between the lowerend of such tripper and the weighted lever and the fusible connectionbetween the end and top of such member N all arranged substantially asshown and described.

GEORGE WASHINGTON COFRAN. WILLIAH JAMES MURRAY. W'itnesses:

J OHN A. ADDISON, ALBERT A. MURRAY.

